The present invention relates to a multi-display type display comprising a plurality of display units. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inexpensive display controller capable of achieving enlarged display and high-definition display, a multi-display, and a multi-display system.
A prior art multi-display system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-187109. This prior art multi-display system will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a monitor 201 comprises an image input unit 202, an A/D converter 203, a memory selector 204, an image memory A 205, an image memory B 206, a selecting processing unit 207, a D/A converter 208, a display unit 209, a control signal receiving unit 210, a decoder 211, a received control signal memory 212, an ID setting unit 213, a monitor system memory 214 and a monitor controller 215.
An image transmitter 216 comprises an image output 217, generator 218, a control signal transmitter 219, a control signal composing unit 220, a synchronizer 221, a monitor ID directory 222, a program code generator 223, a frame number generator 224, a system memory 225, a controller 226 and a monitor control program memory 227.
Indicated at 228 is an image signal line and at 229 is a control signal line.
In operation, the image signal generator 217 of the image transmitter 216 edits video signals provided by a camera, a VTR (video tape recorder) or a PC (personal computer) to provide an analog image signal representing a still image connecting all image data to be displayed on a plurality of monitors, and the image transmitter 216 provides the analog image signal on the image signal line 228. The control signal composing unit 220 combines data provided by the monitor ID directory 222, the program code generator 223, the frame number generator 224 and the monitor control program memory 227 to compose digital control signal for controlling the monitor 201. The thus composed digital control signal is synchronized by the synchronizer 221 with image data provided by the image transmitter 216 and is transferred to the monitor 201.
Image data transferred through the image signal line 228 operates according to the control signal transferred through the control signal line 229. The image data is converted into corresponding digital image data by the A/D converter 203. The digital image data is transferred through the memory selector 204 to and stored in the image memory A 205 or the image memory B 206. The selecting processing unit 207 selects either the image memory A 205 or the image memory B 206 and reads the stored digital image memory. The D/A converter 208 converts the digital image signal into corresponding analog image signal and sends the analog image signal to the display unit 209 and the display unit 209 displays an image represented by the analog image signal.
Since a control signal including a frame number for the image data, and an ID identifying the selected monitor 201 is transmitted in synchronism with the image data transmitted by the image transmitter 216, the image represented by the image data can be displayed on the plurality of monitors 201.
In the prior art multi-display system, a frame number and an ID number must be assigned to each image data and hence only still images can be transmitted.
Since an ID number identifying the corresponding display must be attached to display data, troublesome processing work is necessary for processing the display data.
Since the display is not provided with any means for displaying a single display data continuously on a plurality of displays, a display data server needs to carry out operations for displaying the display data continuously on the plurality of displays.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive display controller capable of achieving enlarged display and high-definition display, a display, a multi-display, and a multi-display system comprising a plurality of liquid crystal displays.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a display controller for controlling a display comprises an input data processor for processing input display data, a control data processor that receives control data including information specifying partial display data included in the display data, a data output unit that gives the input display data to the display unit, and a control unit that controls the data output unit according to the control data so that the partial data is given to the display unit.
Preferably, in the display controller, the control unit is provided with a storage unit capable of holding identification data (ID data), and may control the data output unit so that the partial display data is given to the display unit in response to the ID data held by the storage unit and the information included in the control data.
Preferably, in the display controller, the control data includes ID data, and the control unit controls the output unit so as to give the partial display data to the display unit when the ID data included in the control data coincide with each other.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a controller for controlling a display comprises a plurality of input data processors that receive display data, a control data processor that receives control data, a display data selector that selects one of the plurality of input data processors according to the control data, and an output unit that gives the display data selected by the display data selector to the display.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a controller for controlling a display comprises a input data processor that receives display data, a control data processor that receives control data, an output unit that sends out the input display data, and a control unit for controlling the output unit, wherein the output unit has a display data storage unit for storing the input display data, the control unit has a storage unit capable of holding a display data input stopping command included in the control data, and the output unit is controlled so as to stop an operation for storing the display data in the display data storage unit while the display data input stopping command is held by the storage unit.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, each of a plurality of displays comprises a display unit that displays images, a display controller that gives display data to the display unit, wherein the display controller comprises an input data processor that receives the display data, a control data processor that receives control data and a storage unit capable of holding data on positions of the plurality of arranged displays, and the display unit is given the display data when the data held by the storage unit and the data included in the input control data coincide with each other.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a multi-display comprises a plurality of display units arranged in an Mxc3x97N rectangular array, and a plurality of display controllers respectively for controlling the plurality of displays, wherein each display controller has a storage unit capable of holding information indicating the position of the corresponding display unit in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a multi-display system comprises a plurality of display units arranged in an Mxc3x97N rectangular array, a plurality of display controllers respectively for controlling the display of the plurality of display units, and a controller that provides control data including information about the respective positions of the plurality of display units in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array, wherein each display controller has a storage unit holding information indicating the position of the corresponding display in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a method of displaying images on a plurality of displays arranged in an Mxc3x97N rectangular array comprises the steps of holding information about positions of the plurality of displays in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array by the plurality of displays and a controller that controls each of the plurality of displays and operations for displaying images on the plurality of displays, sending control data including information representing positions of the plurality of displays in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array from the controller to each of the plurality of displays, receiving information representing positions of the plurality of displays in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array by the plurality of displays, comparing the sent information representing positions of the plurality of displays in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array with the information held by the plurality of displays representing positions of the plurality of displays in the Mxc3x97N rectangular array, and displaying, when both information coincide with each other, portions of an image given to the plurality of displays on the plurality of displays.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, an information processor connected to a display provided with a plurality of display units comprises an input means for providing position data representing positions of the plurality of display units, a storage means for storing the position data provided by the input means, a display position determining means for determining portions of an image to be displayed on the plurality of display units on the basis of the position data stored by the storage means, and transmission means for transmitting control data corresponding to display positions determined by the display position determining means to the display.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling display to a plurality of display units comprises the steps of receiving position data about positions of the plurality of display units, holding the position data on the respective positions of the plurality of display units, determining image displaying positions on the plurality of display units by using the position data on the respective positions of the plurality of display units, and transmitting control data based on the determined displaying positions to the display.